Don't Encourage Him
by Hiding in a Dream
Summary: Reno's a playboy and a Turk; a member of one of Midgar's biggest gangs. Enter one Cloud Strife. Will the blond fall for his charms like every other challenge he's met? Or will he end up left in the dirt for the very first time? A RenoxCloud fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. I'm just abusing the characters for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 1

Reno knew he was hot. Maybe that's why he had such a big ego. Or perhaps it was the fact that there were so few people who could actually beat him a fight that made him think so highly of himself. Either way, Reno was the perfect man in his eyes.

"Um, I love you!" The young girl blushed and looked down. Reno, completely unaffected by the admission, yawned and frowned at his classmate.

"You called me out for this, yo? Sorry, but you're not my type." With that, he turned and walked away. The crushed girl cried silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Reno didn't even look back.

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"So, this chick calls me out to the back sayin' she has something to tell me. I follow her out there and it turns out it's a fuckin love confession, yo." Boisterous laughter filled the streets.

"You're a lucky bastard, Sinclair. If it was me, I'd have snapped that girl up," one of the students hollered.

"Cuz you're such a prince. We all know you'd have dumped in three days," Cid grumbled. More laughter followed the sarcastic comment. The insulted teen grabbed the blond's cigarette. As Cid jumped for his cancer stick, his sleeve fell back, revealing a black tattoo of a slinking fox on his wrist.

The students were part of the Turks, an infamous gang in Midgar. They had some of the best fighters and plenty of influence. The entire eastern part of the city was their playground and they openly flaunted their power. The only gang that could rival them was SOLDIER. No one really knew what the members were like in SOLDIER, the members being so secretive. However, everyone knew the leader, Sephiroth and his four Commanders; Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley, Zack Fair, and Cloud Strife. The last one was a complete mystery, only called on by the General during extreme emergencies. Either way, both gangs were a force to be reckoned with.

"Hey, I heard there's a new club in Midtown! Let's go!" Tifa called. Midtown was neutral territory. Gangs didn't start fights there for fear of starting a war and civilians lived relatively peaceful lives. Consequently, it was also one the biggest hangouts for the Turks and SOLDIERS.

"Sounds interesting. Let's go," Reno drawled.

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The bouncers let them in as soon as they showed off their tattoos. The inside was crowded and filled with sweaty drunks, many of them making a fool of themselves on the dance floor.

"This place ain't half bad," Barret commented. Reno shrugged finding a seat at the bar. His gang mates joined him, shoving each other and cracking jokes.

"Get me something strong, yo. I wanna get piss-ass drunk tonight," the redheaded Turk demanded. The blond bartender turned around to face his rude costumer.

"Woah, I take that back, yo. I'd rather have you," Reno purred. His friends turned in surprise. Reno was picky about his lovers and usually let others flirt with him, rather than stooping so low for a fuck. The blond wasn't very tall, perhaps about 5'8, and had a boyish face. Eyes the color of the sky shone almost unnaturally from under spiky, untamable hair. All in all, he was a little blond bombshell.

"Hm, I think I'd like to tap that, too," Rufus smirked.

"Aw, boss. That's not fair! I called dibs!" Reno whined. He turned to the bartender.

"Who would you rather fuck?" The blond stared at the group for a second before turning away without a word.

"Hey, blondie! Do you even know who the fuck we are?" Cid growled. "We're Turks! Show some respect." The bartender turned back to them.

"So?"

Tifa sputtered for a moment. No one brushed off the Turks like that. Rude got up, quickly followed by Barret and Reno. "'So?' You think you can take us on? If I were you, I'd shut my mouth and get on your knees to beg for forgiveness before we get pissed," Reno barked.

"I recommend you leave now. We don't serve underage customers," the teen informed them. Enraged, Barret leaped forward to punch the pretty boy. A hand caught his fist.

"Don't pick on my friends, Turk." The Turks turned to find a raven-haired teen smiling lightly at them.

"I didn't need your help, Zack," the blond muttered.

"I know, but Angeal would get mad if do something, Spike. We don't want more people in the hospital. Bad for our reputation," 'Zack' informed him happily.

"Hey! What the hell do ya think you're doin, punk?!" Barret tried to tug his hand back but the raven's grip was surprisingly firm.

"Oh sorry. I kinda forgot." Zack released the man. "Nice to meetcha! I'm Zack Fair!" The Turks stilled. Zack…. Fair…. He was a SOLDIER. Reno snorted.

"Yeah right. You're Zack Fair?" Zack's smile faltered.

"What do you mean? Who else would I be?" he asked, honestly confused.

"A wannabe," Rude provided. Zack's eyes grew larger and larger until the Turks thought they would explode. Zack suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha…Oh god…. You guys thought….. Hahaha…..That's the first time…Oh god I can't breathe…" He shook his head, wiping tears from his eyes. "You guys are really funny." With a flourish, Zack pulled off the bandana on his arm. There, on his right bicep, was a tattoo of a snarling wolf with a ring in its mouth. "Sorry but I'm Zack Fair, SOLDIER extraordinaire."

All traces of humor were wiped from the Turks' faces. It seemed that he really was a SOLDIER; and they had really made a move on said SOLDIER's friend.

"Is that so? Nice to meet you. I'm Rufus Shinra," Rufus replied. Zack openly gaped before the lighthearted spark was back in his eye.

"It's very nice to meet you. I hope my friend hasn't hurt any of you yet. That would suck." Although he seemed completely honest about his words, Rufus' smile tightened.

"Thank you for the worry but I don't think he could have taken us down. Although Tseng couldn't come, this is Barret, Tifa, Cid, Rude, and Reno of the Turks." Zack's grin didn't fade. On the contrary, he seemed happier than before.

"So he didn't have a chance to kill anything, yet? That's a relief. Anyways, you guys here for a drink? It's on me!" Zack volunteered, completely missing the underlying threat from the Turk leader. "Oh wait, I didn't introduce you guys. This is mrph-!" Zack's mouth was covered with a pale, slender hand.

"What did Angeal tell you about me and my privacy, Zack?" the blond scolded. Reno swore he could see Zack's puppy tail stop wagging and curl between his legs.

"But Cl-" When the blond raised a brow, he cut himself off with a cough. "Uh right. Bar nickname. Uhhh…. What was it again?" Rufus and Reno simultaneously glanced at each other, their brows raised. Why was the SOLDIER Commander so meek to this blond teen when he clearly didn't have any respect for people in power? What did this blond have that they didn't?

"Oh wait was it Fen-"

"That's my bike. One more try. If you're wrong, I'm getting that muzzle Angeal wanted for you." Zack whimpered pitifully.

"I can't remember all the names you use. Just tell me," he whined.

"What would you do without Angeal and Seph? Even Gen isn't this bad," he sighed. When Zack's pitiful look just grew stronger, he sighed again.

Zack perked up. "You know what! I'm giving you a name. Shiro! There ya go! This is my buddy Shiro! Weird name. Anyways, like I said, drinks on me!" By now the Turks were thoroughly confused. Why was the big shot of SOLDIER acting like such a kid? It was confusing.

A gloved hand dropped down on Zack's shoulder. "My, my. Making friends with Turks, are we? You know Turks and SOLDIER don't mix."

"Genesis! What are you doing here? I thought Seph kidnapped you for study groups?" Zack gasped. Reno seriously thought his brain was dying. Two Commanders? In one place? The SOLDIER Commanders were also famous for their independence. They rarely hung out together in public, preferring to deal with their respective faction in the gang. Seeing them like this was rare. The blond bombshell interrupted his brain's liquefaction.

"Leave, both of you. This is Midtown and I don't want trouble." Zack looked genuinely hurt while Genesis just smirked.

"Aw, you don't want us around? Let me guess. This is one of your peace attempts? I'm serious, _Shiro_, Turks and SOLDIERS don't mix. There's no such thing as peace between us. You better get your head on straight before you lose it." With that, the two left.

"So…. Uh….. You a SOLDIER, too? What's up with him?" Barret asked nervously. It had unnerved all of them, seeing two Commanders up close. It was just plain confusing that one was threatening his own gang member.

Shiro's eyes glazed over for a second before hardening.

"I don't like picking sides. I only helped them a few times for personal reasons." He shook his head before getting drinks for them.

"And don't call me Shiro."

**AN:** Aaaahhhh. I really shouldn't be starting this…. I'm sooooo sorry… I know I'm irresponsible but this idea just wouldn't go away… Anyways. New Story! This one I'm going to update at my leisure. No set time for updates. Lol. Have fun


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** If I owned FFVII, it would suck a lot more….

Chapter 2

Reno slumped into his first class of the day, his hangover gleefully stabbing his head with little needles. Reno hated needles. After the fiasco with the SOLDIERS, 'Shiro' had seemed to take pity on the Turks and mixed them some of the strongest drinks he had ever had the misfortune of ingesting. It had been good while it lasted, but it sucked ass right now. He groaned and gingerly laid his head on the desk. There was still a few minutes till class started, right?

He woke when something poked his cheek. He growled as a warning and twisted his head into a more comfortable position. There was another poke. He ignored it but the pokes _just wouldn't stop_! He finally lifted his head, ready to bite the other's head off, and froze.

"….Shiro-chan?" He stared in shock. The teen was the same age as him? And in the same class? Why the hell hadn't he noticed before? 'Shiro' watched him with vague distaste, holding a stack of papers in his hand. When Reno made no move to grab them, 'Shiro' dumped the handouts on his desk and turned towards the front, ignorant of the hungry look Reno gave him. Reno grabbed one of the sheets of paper and passed them on to the next student, never looking away from the slender blond.

"So… I didn't know you went to this school, Shiro-chan," he purred. The figure stiffened momentarily but didn't respond. Reno continued, "What's a SOLDIER toy doing in the east side of Midgar, yo?" 'Shiro' whipped around and gave him a look that froze him in place.

"None of your business, Turk," he hissed. Reno brushed off his discomfort at the hostile behavior and leaned forward to breathe on the blond's neck.

"I'll shut up if you give me a date." 'Shiro' glanced back at him in confusion.

"I'm sure you don't need me to get one for you," he said, temporarily forgetting his anger. Reno looked at him for a full minute before cracking up. The teacher and a few other students looked at him oddly but brushed it off as typical Reno behavior.

"I meant if _you_ go out with me, yo. You're jailbait, ya know?"

"No. Fuck off." With that, 'Shiro' turned back to the teacher. Reno just smiled.

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It turned out they had every class together. For Reno, it was heaven on earth. For the other teen, not so much.

"Hey, Shiro-chan, come sit with us during lunch. The others will love you, yo. Shiro-chan? Shiroooooo….. Shirochi…." Reno smirked as he watched the poor blond slowly lose his temper. "So what d'ya say? You know you want toooo," Reno sang. 'Shiro' fixed the teacher with a desperate look. The poor teacher coughed and shook his head slightly, his fear of the Turk overcoming his desire to help his student. Reno laughed and took that as permission.

When the bell rang, he immediately latched onto the blond's arm, preventing escape. "Come to think of it, Shiro's not your real name, right? So what is it? Tell me, yo!" 'Shiro' didn't even glance at him as the excitable redhead dragged him into the lunch room, looking bored with the world. Annoyed, Reno tugged harder, not noticing the stares and whispers of his classmates. 'Shiro' sighed quietly and resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Wake up, yo. We're here." Reno yanked him down onto the seat. "Hey, everyone. This here, is Shiro-chan!" Cloud glared at him harder. "Come on, yo. You're the one that won't tell me your name."

"Reno? What the hell are you doing with Cloud?" Elena gasped. Reno turned to the upset blond.

"So your name's Cloud, eh?" He vaguely remembered there was a SOLDIER Commander by the name of Cloud but brushed it off. There was no way this thin Chocobo was a SOLDIER Commander. "Nice to meetcha, Cloudy." Rufus raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you came here, SOLDIER toy." Cloud finally snapped.

"I'm not a fucking SOLDIER toy you moronic poodle! I'm only here because this _thing_ dragged me here. If you have a problem with me, then take this weasel off my arm and I'll gladly leave!" he roared. The table froze. /Poodle? / Rufus thought to himself. Cloud glared defiantly at the table of Turks. To everyone's surprise, Elena and Cissnei started giggling.

"What's so funny, yo?" Reno asked curiously, arm still clutching Cloud. Elena merely pointed at Cloud.

"You know, he's the school ice queen. And he doesn't talk or communicate with anyone...ever. I should have recorded this. I can imagine the title already: 'Ice Queen Can Talk!'" She shook her head and collapsed into another fit of giggles. Rufus recovered and cleared his throat.

"Ah, my apologies. I thought you were a SOLDIER," he told the other blond. Cloud glared at them silently before huffing and muttering something under his breath about 'stupid Turks with crappy judgment'.

"So, what brings you here?" Tifa asked curiously. Cloud looked pointedly at the redhead attached to his arm. "Ah, never mind. Sorry about him. No one can really control him," she apologized. Cloud's gaze softened and he nodded at her. Reno scowled. He pawed at the blond and gave him his best pitiful look. Cloud just ignored him. He ignored _him_. Annoyed he jumped the teen.

"Hah! Take that! Stop ignoring me dammit!" he cried while struggling to keep the blond pinned. Cloud was still on the floor, frozen with shock that someone would actually do something like this to him, before he realized what he was doing. He immediately flipped them over, old instincts kicking in. He grabbed a plastic spork from someone's tray and pointed it at Reno's neck. The redhead paused in his struggles.

"…. Damn, kid. And I thought you'd be the weak pretty-boy type," Cid commented. Cloud shrugged and got off the redhead.

"You learn things when you grow up like I did," he told them quietly. The Turks exchanged looks.

"At least, Reno knows to be careful now. And that he can't have everything he wants." Tifa laughed, breaking the tension. The table joined in, chuckling harder when an affronted Reno just grabbed Cloud's arm and pouted. Cloud shook his head but his eyes sparkled with amusement, the slitted pupils growing thinner in amusement.

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"I went to go see your brother last night, Seph." Four pairs of cat-like eyes flew to Genesis' face.

"Nii-san? You saw him?" a young teen with silver hair asked. Genesis nodded in confirmation.

"He's losing himself, though. Seriously, he was talking with Turks! They seemed pretty chummy." Genesis exclaimed. Zack shook his head.

"It's not his fault! I was the one talking to them!"

"Quiet. Seems like I was right. He never should have left us."

"What are we going to do?" Angeal asked. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed.

"We're bringing him home." Six pairs of eyes lit up at this. Their family would be whole again.

**AN:** Uwaaaa….. Thanks for reviewing Hero-of-the-Dawn! Umm I should be working on other fics but I just can't seem to get this one out of my head….. Damn. Stupid bunnies!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for my annoying bunnies.

Chapter 3

"So why are we doing this again?" Tifa, Cissnei, Rude, Tseng, and Rufus found themselves in Rude's minivan, clutching each other and various parts of the car while a certain redheaded Turk grinned gleefully. The car tilted on its side for a moment. Cars probably weren't supposed to do that.

"We're doin' this cuz I'm bored and curious, yo. Don't you want ta find out where our little Cloudy lives," Reno asked sweetly. Rufus grinned back at that 'wonderful' idea while the rest of the Turks looked like they wanted anything _but_ that.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Tifa mumbled, her cheery demeanor quickly fading. Rude patted her shoulder in understanding. This was her first time experiencing Reno's suicidal driving. It was wild, unrestrained, and reckless. Unfortunately, Rufus seemed to get a kick out of his terrified subordinates and encouraged the insane driving.

"He's turning left, Reno."

"Gotcha, boss." The car swerved as Reno cut through two lanes to follow Cloud. They made the turn in time but Cissnei lost her lunch out the window (Rude helpfully opened it for her so that she wouldn't get vomit in _his_ car that _Reno_ was driving). Ahead, the sleek black motorcycle slowed to park on the street. Reno made a u-turn to get into the closest parking spot and shut off the engine. "Hah! Turks: one, Cloud: zero!" he crowed. Tifa shoved the door open and collapsed on the grass, her face pale. Cissnei stumbled out with some help from a shuddering Rude, both feeling only slightly better than the brunet. Tseng managed to save some of his grace and stepped out on his own, although his legs shook a bit with effort.

"So what are we doing now?" Rufus asked Reno, calmly stepping out of the killer vehicle to his subordinates' dismay.

"Now we go up to his door and knock! We're Turks, right?" Reno smirked at his shaky comrades before turning to Rufus. "Free to do what we please and take what we deserve."

Smirking back, Rufus headed for Cloud's door. Tifa groaned as Rude helpfully pulled her up on her feet while Cissnei stubbornly stood on her own. She was a Turk, damnit! She refused to show weakness even in the face of Reno's terrible driving skills.

"Knock knock, Blondie!" A ruffled Chocobo opened the door with curious but guarded eyes. Reno drank it the sight of a still wind tousled Cloud. His white shirt was slightly crumpled and his black jacket was hanging from one hand on his shoulder. Black jeans hung low on his waist and Cloud's hair was even wilder than before, courtesy of the black helmet he wore when on his bike.

"….. Reno?" The surprised teen blinked at the redheaded Turk before seeing the others crowded at his door. Reno laughed at the look before smirking casually at the blond.

"Can we come in or not, yo? I think Tifa and Rude here need to sit down." The puzzled look grew stronger but Cloud stepped aside for the Turks, curiosity overcoming the instinct to slam the door in their faces for following him to his house.

The Turks made themselves at home. Reno sprawled out on the couch while Rude sat wearily against the closest wall in the small living room. Tifa and Cissnei took the remaining chairs so Tseng and Rufus joined Reno on the couch. Meanwhile, Cloud closed his door and threw his jacket on a coat rack off on the side.

"…. What are you doing here?" he asked them, boredom carefully masking his curiosity.

"We came to visit. Reno wanted to see where you lived so we tagged along," Rufus answered. When Cloud didn't say anything Reno took over.

"Nice place you have here. You're a lucky bastard, yo." Cloud seemed to resign himself to their presence and walked away, mumbling something back. "What was that, yo? Didn't catch that."

"I said that I don't believe in luck," Cloud repeated. Reno paused before laughing.

"Why not?" he asked between laughs. A miniscule frown marred Cloud's face before he decided Reno's laugh didn't bother him all that much.

"Luck is only for those who can't face the consequences of their actions," he told them.

Tseng raised an eyebrow. "Wise words for someone who probably hasn't even held a gun before," he commented. Cloud froze before turning to face the Wutaian teen. His eyes were narrowed with an emotion the Turks couldn't identify. Suddenly, his posture relaxed a bit and he turned away.

"I suppose."

Apparently, the small conversation they had managed to force out of the blond was over. Cloud turned to head into what Reno assumed was the kitchen and disappeared. Annoyed, he hissed at Tseng, "Great. You made him mad. What're we going to do now?" Rufus nodded and glared at his Turk.

"I wanted to hear his answer. Besides, I don't think he's upset. He didn't reach for the knife he had in his left pocket." Reno flinched.

"He had a knife? I thought he wasn't a SOLDIER?" Rufus wondered, sounding more amused than worried.

"I couldn't see it very clearly since he didn't pull it out but I saw the vague outline of it. As for SOLDIER, I'm not sure but he hasn't made to attack us yet so I'm giving him the benefit of doubt for you," Tseng informed Rufus.

"Damn. I'm not so sure this was a safe idea, Reno," Tifa muttered. A frozen bottle of water landed in her lap, successfully halting the secret conversation.

"It'll help with your….motion sickness. And again, I am not a SOLDIER. I need something to protect myself since I work at the bar."

The corner of Rufus' mouth twitched in amusement as Reno cleared his throat and looked away while Tseng coughed quietly. Tifa just held the cool bottle to her head, hoping the dizziness would fade.

"So…. What kinda knife ya got, blondie?" Reno asked with forced lightheartedness. It was always awkward when the guy you were talking about overheard everything you said.

"Mercator K55K," Cloud answered easily, now fiddling with something on his laptop. "Is that all you came here for?" At this, Reno relaxed and barked another laugh.

"Can't friends come over for a visit, yo?" Cloud looked at him oddly.

"We are…..friends?"

Cissnei nodded brightly. "What else would we be, Cloudy? Don't you want to be friends?" She and Tifa gave Cloud their best kicked puppy look. Honestly it didn't have much effect (since Zack had used it on him so often) but he nodded slightly.

"We could be….friends, I suppose?"

Rufus smiled dangerously. "That sounds like a question. Would you perhaps be entertaining the idea of being _more_ than friends?" the gang leader asked the blond. Cloud just turned the odd look in his direction.

"Why would I want that?"

Reno joined the fun. "Well, there're a lot of things you could get as a more than friend friend "

"I wouldn't know what those things are I've never dated before," he informed them offhandedly. When the room stilled he looked around, annoyed at the odd Turks. "What?" When no one broke the silence he decided it would be better for his mental health if he ignored them. Cloud turned back to his computer, intent on finishing his homework while the Turks invaded.

"…. So, what're you up to?" Cissnei asked him, deciding to change the subject before Reno, Tseng, or Rufus could cause more awkward situations. Cloud glanced at her before shifting slightly so that she could see the screen. It was obvious he had used up his word quota for the day and had no intention of extending it for them.

"Ah, well can we use your table? I kinda need to do homework, too," Cissnei told him quickly, saving them from another episode of silence. Reno looked fairly disgusted with the thought of homework. Actually, many of the other Turks looked disgusted as well but Tifa saved her.

"Yeah, I need to finish an essay or two. My teachers are complete monsters these days." Cloud grunted in response. What did it matter to him what they did? Then again, they had said that they were his friends. Did that mean that they _did_ matter? Reno and Rufus had implied that they wanted more but he wasn't sure if they were joking or not. It was hard learning how to interact with people when you had a paranoid gang leader with a brother complex for an older sibling. Actually, the entire gang had seemed to have a complex for him so he wasn't sure if that was weird or not. Maybe it was normal. Either way, it wasn't helping his situation.

There was a knock on the door.

**AN:** Huh, maybe I shouldn't have updated this one first. Oh well. I have a four day weekend starting tomorrow so I'm going to start with this one. Hope you guys have fun with this. Thank you everyone who reviewed. I was slightly surprised with the amount of readers this attracted. OwO Um the story seemed to kinda trail off at the end... Whatever, have fun with this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my little stalker plot bunnies.

Chapter 4

"Were ya expecting someone, Cloudy?"

Cloud didn't bother responding and got up to open the door. He mused that this seemed to be something of a trend today.

"Heya, Shiro!"

To the Turks' amusement, Cloud immediately tried to slam the door shut. Zack yelped and jumped out of the way before his foot was crushed. It was just too bad that there were more than one SOLDIER.

"Come on, Cloud. Aren't you happy to see us?" Genesis, with some help from Zack, managed to force the door open and stood in the doorway with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Cloud's expression made it very clear that he was anything but happy to have his home invaded twice on the same day by gangsters.

"What do you want? I told you before that I have no desire to get mixed up in anything that has to do with you."

Another face popped up behind the SOLDIERS. "We just want to talk. Seph sent us," Angeal informed the blond. "Can we come in?"

Cloud glanced into his living room where six Turks sat braindead and gaping. Genesis caught the swift look and peered into the house. Immediately, his face hardened and his body grew tense.

"Why the _fuck_ do you have the leader of the Turks and his little pets sitting in your house, Cloudy-kins," Genesis purred pleasantly. This seemed to snap Reno out of his shock.

"Who the hell is a pet, SOLDIER redhead!" A fourth, fifth, and sixth SOLDIER appeared.

"You're a fucking redhead, too, bitch!" A silver haired teen shouted back. Tifa and Cissnei shot up out of their seats and joined the verbal warfare. Rufus watched the exchange with amusement like Tseng. Zack didn't really seem to know what to do so he looked at Angeal, who was trying to calm the triplets and Genesis down, for help. Rude was holding Reno back, desperately hoping the fiery hothead wouldn't trash another pair of his sunglasses with his thrashing. Cloud just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"At least I don't look like an old man!"

"I'd rather look like an old man than look like a gutter rat!"

"What?!"

"Your comebacks are so very intelligent. Don't you learn anything at your school? Oh wait, you're probably too busy getting it up the ass from your boss."

"I'm not a fucking uke like you whore! Does the dear General know you want to get in his pants?"

"I'll ki-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP OR GET THE HELL OUT!" Cloud roared. The house fell silent and everyone looked at the typically quiet blond in shock. He shook his head and closed the door behind the SOLDIERS, who were all standing in his home by now. "Sit down and shut up. I need to change so I'll be out of the room for _five minutes_. If you're arguing when I get back, I swear I'll throw you out." With that, Cloud turned and disappeared into the hallway. Awkwardly, the SOLDIERS moved deeper into the living room and sat down, making sure to keep their distance from the Turks.

Reno and Rufus silently fumed that they couldn't watch the blond Chocobo undress. They shot the SOLDIERS a dirty look but didn't dare make a sound. The SOLDIERS glared back just and silently. Cloud returned wearing a different pair of black jeans and his white shirt was replaced with a black wife beater.

"Why are you here?"

Angeal spoke up, hoping his fellow gang members wouldn't piss off Cloud again. "Seph wants you back."

The room was silent for a moment. Then,

"I thought you weren't a SOLDIER, yo?" Reno ventured nervously. Cloud shook his head.

"I told you I'm not a SOLDIER but I never said I wasn't one before." He turned to Angeal. "You know why I left. I refuse to get mixed up with the gangs again."

"Look, I know you're still fucked up about that night but-" Genesis began. He was cut off when Cloud grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Didn't we agree that we weren't going to speak about that ever again?" he growled. The rest of the room blinked and tried to understand how Cloud had crossed the room so quickly. Releasing Genesis, he walked back to the couch and sat on one of the arms.

"These guys invited themselves in, much like you. I don't plan on getting close to them and I don't plan on going back to the gang. If that's all you came for, the door is that way." A silver figure hurled itself at the blond.

"Nii-san! Just come back! Don't you want to be together again? We miss you so, so much….." Kadaj buried his face in the teen's shoulder, trying not to cry. Cloud's cold eyes softened and he let out a breath.

"It's not that I don't want to be together again. I just can't deal with this anymore." There was no reply from the body pressed against his. He sighed and looked the other two siblings. "I miss you but I don't want to live like that anymore. Tell Seph nii-san I say hello." Yazoo nodded and pulled his brother off his nii-san. Zack looked at Cloud, heartbroken but the former SOLDIER avoided everyone's eyes while the SOLDIERS left. When the door closed behind them, Reno let out a low whistle.

"So… The big General's your big bro, eh? No offense, yo, but he really looks constipated. You don't understand how glad I am that you don't frown 24/7 like him."

Rufus shuddered. "That man looks worse when he smiles. I swear I thought I was going to die the first time I saw him laugh during a brawl. His sword is fucking long, too."

Cloud looked up at the pair, startled, before bursting into laughter. For a second, everyone forgot why they had been so tense before and lost themselves in Cloud's musical laughter. Eventually, it stopped, leaving them feeling wistful and wanting to hear more.

"Thank you for that." He gave them a small smile before composing himself. Rufus shook his head, still a bit dazed at the tiny curve of the lips. If this was the last thing he would see before he died, he could die a happy man. Reno was thinking something along the same lines.

"What are we going to do now?" Cissnei asked nervously. Cloud fixed his icy blue eyes on the clock.

"I have work at the bar, soon."

Reno and Rufus grinned. "I think we need to go to the bar, too," they chorused.

**AN:** Woah, I haven't updated in forever….. Oops. Sorry for the slow updates. School's taking up a lot of time and I think I failed one of my tests so I've been trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do about my grade in that class. Um a bit of profanity in this chapter but I hope the content itself doesn't suck. I got more reviews last chapter. THANKS! I want to reply to you guys but I'm crazy busy, as you can see. But I still read over every single one. (They put me in such a good mood) Have fun!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own here is my little stalker bunny and this notebook.

Chapter 5

Reno idly thought to himself that if there was a God, the man obviously loved Reno. The wind whistled past, nipping at his clothes. As the bike swerved, Reno clung closer to the warm body in his arms.

Yes. Reno had managed to convince Cloud to give him a ride to the club. Oh, Cloud had said no quite firmly at first but Reno was just that good. And maybe the sky was striped hot pink and cotton candy blue, but what did it matter? All he knew was that something had changed Cloud's mind and now he was gladly hugging that lean, muscled body.

"We're here so get off."

Reno reluctantly released the other teen and yanked his helmet off, his hair a wild mess. The van of Turks pulled up to the side behind them.

"You look like you just had sex, Reno," Cissnei giggled. Tifa laughed and nudged Cissnei, looking between the redheaded Turk and the blond Chocobo. Cloud just looked at the Turks oddly before heading into the club, leaving the gang members to scramble after him. Inside, Cloud left the Turks to get ready for his shift. It was never a good idea to leave Turks unattended but Cloud didn't know that.

"Look who we have here! It's little Rufus and his bitches." Rufus slowly turned to fix his glare on Genesis….and the rest of the major SOLDIERS. The triplets snickered quietly and whispered among themselves while the raven-haired duo frowned in disapproval but said nothing.

"Now, now Genesis. There's no need to get nasty right away. Why don't we have a drink, little Rufus?" a deep baritone purred. Sephiroth smirked casually and leaned against the bar. Reno stiffened and stepped closer to Rufus. Screw what he had said earlier. God absolutely despised Reno.

"I don't make a habit of accepting drinks from enemies but thank you for the offer," Rufus said smoothly. He edged away from the SOLDIERS and sat a few stools away from the smirking Silver General. His Turks warily took their seats, their eyes never leaving the grinning SOLDIERS.

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The tension in the air was so thick it was almost tangible. The SOLDIERS eyed the Turks with amusement and the Turks eyed the SOLDIERS warily. Around them, people danced and drank, got to know each other and let the beat control their movements. Reno wished that he was part of the crowd, away from the tension and impending violence he was sure would come about.

"What would you like?"

Cloud stood stiffly, his eyes darting between the rival gangs. Reno watched Cloud subtly shift his position into a more defensive form.

"What would I like? I would like you to stop playing around and come back to the family," Sephiroth drawled. "It would be nice if you came back without a fuss, little brother."

"This is Neo-Midgar. You can't do anything here," Cloud replied blandly. "Now, what would you like to drink?" Sephiroth's eyes grew a little colder but his smile widened.

"You know what we like. If you forgot, you can always surprise us."

Cloud suddenly slammed his fist into the bar. "I'm not doing this." He turned away and tapped the other bartender on the shoulder. The raven-haired man fixed his crimson gaze on Cloud.

"I'll be playing on stage today. Can you get Seifer to take over my shift?"

The man inclined his head and called a burly blond over. Cloud smiled gently and let his hand linger on the other man's shoulder.

"Thanks, Vince."

Reno felt a spike of jealousy. Who was this guy? Why did he get to make Cloud smile? Was he Cloud's boyfriend? He watched the pair carefully, trying to discern the nature of their relationship. Unfortunately, he got no answer for Cloud soon left the bar with a black bag under his arm.

Reno turned his glare on the SOLDIERS. It was their fault Cloud had left. Stupid snooty SOLDIERS with brother complexes. Zack caught his eye and smiled sadly, his eyes conveying his apology. Reno snorted and turned away. He saw Zack wilt out of the corner of his eye but he pushed away the small twinge of guilt.

The crowd roared with approval as a new DJ stepped up. Cloud looked down at the crowd apathetically, but his eyes betrayed his happiness. Cloud's eyes were sparkling in the strobe lights with excitement and a small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. The song changed and the bass deepened. More people joined the throng in the middle of the room and more bodies twisted together in euphoria. Reno watched entranced as Cloud fiddled with random buttons, one hand pressing a pair of headphones to his ears. He unconsciously licked his lips, his throat suddenly dry. A shifting from the SOLDIERS' side tore his attention away.

Sephiroth was watching his little brother closely, eyes darkened with an unidentifiable emotion. The other SOLDIERS glanced at each other before turning their eyes back to their leader. The Silver General didn't seem to notice and if he did, he didn't seem to care. Abruptly, he stood.

"We're leaving. We'll return another time." His eyes sparked maliciously at the Turks. "And dear little, Turk, don't get too attached to _my_ little brother. He's not yours to take." With that, Sephiroth swept out of the club, his SOLDIERS trailing close behind. Genesis blew the Turks a kiss and the triplets shot them a sneer before disappearing into the crowd.

"I'm too tired for this shit," Rufus sighed. Reno silently agreed and downed another drink. Why couldn't his life ever be easy?

**AN**: Dang. It's been forever since the last updates. I'm really sorry for the slow chapters. I have a few issues at school and at home so…. Anyways, I'll try really hard to keep updating but the chapters aren't going to be coming out as quickly as before. SORRY. I love writing but I'm afraid circumstances aren't the kindest and it's really hard on me right now…. Have fun!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my plot bunnies.

Chapter 6

Reno woke up the next day in a comfy sleeping bag on the nice warm floor. Not. The floor was freezing and his hangover was terrible. He reluctantly cracked an eye open to find himself in a familiar room; a certain Chocobo's living room to be exact. The teen sat up and looked around blearily, squinting at the sunlight pouring in from the window. Curse that blasted sun. It seemed that all of the Turks from the night before, excluding the girls, were passed out in Cloud's living room.

"What the fuck, yo?" he grumbled, desperately trying to figure out what the hell had happened. It wasn't uncommon for Reno to wake up in the most random places with a killer hangover and no memory of the night before but it was uncommon to find himself in an antisocial Chocobo's house. Reno sighed and mentally shrugged. He'd figure it out later when he didn't have a migraine.

A bottle of water landed in his lap. Reno looked at it in surprise before looking around the room again. It seemed he had missed the blond standing by the wall. Reno nodded in thanks and quickly opened the bottle. He had drained half of it when he noticed the taste was off. Actually, the color was off too. The 'water' was actually more of a golden color. How had he missed that?

"Uh. Are you trying to drug me, yo? Please tell me this isn't poison," he pleaded. Cloud looked at him oddly.

"Why would I bother to drag you home and set you up for the night if I was going poison you the morning after?" Cloud's tone was flat and deadpan.

"That….is a very good point. Then what the heck is this?" Cloud rolled his eyes. He somehow managed to make the gesture graceful. How the heck was an eye roll graceful?

"It's tea. It helps with hangovers." Reno scrutinized the tea. He was skeptical but drained the rest of the bottle anyways. Cloud seemed satisfied and wandered into the kitchen, leaving Reno with his passed out Turk buddies.

"Yo. Wake up, bitches." Reno affectionately kicked Cid and Barret awake. They groaned and sat up, both rubbing their eyes. Tseng woke up and poked Rufus awake before getting to his feet. Rude grunted and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. Reno grinned at their pained expressions. His hangover was quickly disappearing thanks to that tea and his mood was sky high.

"There's a bathroom in the hallway on the right and one in my room. Don't break anything and don't go into the guest room. The girls are in there." Cloud reappeared and watched them passively. Reno took advantage of the chance and looked over Cloud's clothes for the day. He wore a plain white long-sleeve button up with the sleeves pushed up and black skinny jeans with multiple belts hanging off of his hips. On his feet, he wore a pair of black and white sneakers. Rufus chuckled and closed Reno's mouth.

"You're drooling, dumbass."

Reno blinked and realized that he had indeed been drooling. Gross. Cloud didn't seem to care or notice and returned to the depths of the kitchen. Rude shook his head and grabbed the back of Reno's shirt. The bald teen dragged the redhead into the bathroom in the hallway.

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After they washed up, the male Turks returned to the living room to find the girls eating breakfast.

"You took sooo long, guys! Look! Cloud made us breakfast!" Cissnei cheered. She had obviously gotten her hands on some of the mystical hangover cure. The girl chattered on about trivial nothings, completely ignorant to the pain of the others. Tifa smirked at their expressions.

"Poor things. Do your heads hurt?" she asked with false pity. Cloud coughed and quickly turned away. Reno thought that he might have been laughing at them. Reno smiled back at the girl.

"Poor thing. Does your chest hurt from lugging those huge tits around?" Rufus smirked and patted Reno on the back. Cloud had a coughing fit. The insulted teen blushed and pulled her arm back to punch the other Turk's nose. Reno yelped and hid behind the coughing blond.

"Coward! Face me like a man!"

"I'd rather be called a coward than have my face rearranged," Reno sang out. The others, who had gotten their hands on the tea and were back to their normal, painless selves, laughed. Cloud just sighed and pushed Reno into Tifa's waiting fist.

"Son of a bi-"

"Go suck a cock, Reno!"

"School starts in half an hour. Lock the door when you leave."

Cloud grabbed a piece of toast and his bag before walking out the door. Rufus glanced at the clock before sauntering out after the blond with a 'Wait up! Let me walk you to school". Tseng sighed and followed with Rude. Cid, Barrett, and Cissnei glanced at the bickering pair before opting to leave as well. They really didn't want to go to the hospital this early.

"You're such a cocksucker, Reno!"

"You're such a whiny cunt!"

"Argh!"

**AN:** I've been trying to update regularly but (as you can tell) I've been failing spectacularly... Anyways, school's a bitch and my mom is a dick but here is a new chapter! Oh yeah, Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/etc. Have fun with this chapter. Btw: I've been getting a lot less reviews so it's kinda hard to decide whether I suck balls and should quit writing or if there's anything you guys want to see... Well, it's up to you to review but it'd help me see how I'm doing. Anyways, hope you like this chapter.


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